“I think not.”
“What orders does it please your honor to give us?”
“Then you agree with me that I am right. That is well. Now, gentlemen, this may cost your lives. The clan must not be compromised. Mr. Inouye has written his resignation, you Mr. Ito must do the same. Inouye must go to Kyoto, and enter into communication with the Gosho. I shall join him there, after I have shown myself to the clan, and given the necessary instructions to my friend Hattori. You, Ito, must visit the clans, as a rônin. Do not spare money. Entertain freely. Tell every samurai who is willing to listen of how the barbarians are desecrating the land of the gods. Be prudent, but raise the battle-cry of Sonno-Joï[69]; Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarian! That cry must be heard from Hokaido to Kiu-siu. Yours will not be a difficult task. Our young samurai, except those Tokugawa she-monkeys,[70] are anxious enough to test their blades. You will find many of them willing to provoke a war. Direct them to Kyoto. It will need a very strong cry to awaken the court to action, after its centuries of sleep. But do not supply them with money. We do not want any hirelings within our ranks, we need patriots.”
Ito bowed, and said thoughtfully: “Your honor is right in saying that mine is an easy task. There will be no difficulty in raising the cry of Sonno-Joï, nor in getting brawny arms to clasp the hilt of the sword. But who shall stifle the cry or sheath the blades, after they have served the purpose? I have heard of little boys, in the mountains of the north, starting a snowball down the hill; and when it did come down, a whole village lay buried.”
“That is so,” replied Kano. “But our country has never in vain called for men to guide it in time of danger, nor will it now. One or two clans are powerless to preserve it from the barbarians, but all the clans united, are invincible. Here is an order upon the treasurer. Take an ample supply of money, for you will need it. When will you be ready to start?”
“As soon as your honor commands,” replied Ito bowing.
“Do so, then, as soon as possible. Mr. Inouye will keep me company as far as Hyogo. I have a passage engaged by a ship leaving to-morrow. In all our actions let us never forget our motto: Sonno-Joï, Revere the Emperor, Expel the Foreigner!”